‘We’d still be a British nation’ says SNP source

In the strongest indication that the SNP leadership is moving towards a so-called “independence-lite” model, the former senior Scottish Government adviser said that independence would be based on a model of “sharing”.

He challenged the term “separation” and said that Scotland and the rest of the UK would be defined by “powers shared”.

He said that the difference between this and the devo-max model is that independence would end “delegation of powers from Westminster”, which devo-max would not.

As an example, he said Scotland should be “comfortable to share its currency as an independent nation”. The words appear to reflect a softening stance among the SNP leadership to what independence would look like, with First Minister Alex Salmond arguing for shared embassies, a shared head of state in the Queen and shared defence.

The former senior Scottish Government figure also argued that the wording of the question would not influence the final vote.

The conference, which saw a gathering of some of the leading constitutional academics from both sides of the Border, also heard from Professor Michael Keating, of Aberdeen University, on devo-max.

He argued that a second option of devo-max, which is defined by Scotland raising most of its own taxes and sending money to Westminster for shared services, needed to be included in a referendum.

But he also warned that such a solution would make issues like the West Lothian Question – framed by former Labour MP Tam Dalyell – much worse, with Scottish MPs being able to vote on English matters.

He warned: “The English might rather want independence for Scotland than devolution-max.”

Other speakers argued that a question on devo-max would need to be put to voters in the rest of the UK, because of pressure from England.

Prof Keating also questioned the independence lite option, pointing to Kosovo, which he said is “independent in name only”, but is effectively a “client state”.